Just caught this posting on From the Editors

By Vickie Holbrook
Is this a story?
You tell me? Canyon County Commissioner Steve Rule forwarded an e-mail about Michelle Obama's election-night dress (black with a red splattering of color in the front) to 26 people, including Canyon County government e-mail accounts, according to blogger Jill Kuraitis, at NewWest Boise.
It's wrong for any government official to use a government sponsored e-mail to send text, jokes, pictures, videos or links of anything to anyone unless it is official county business.
Because if you do, it will like bite you in the butt, as this one has bitten Steve Rule.
Rule said he thought it was funny. Kuraitis calls it racist because it compares Michelle Obama to a black widow spider. Is it racist? Many people would not think so. She also talks about Idaho's reputation when it comes to tolerance.
But I wanted to learn more. I figured if it could be forwarded, it had to start on the Web somewhere, much like most of the other "crap" that fills our e-mail boxes, wastes our time and gets people in trouble. It looks like the original posting started here on Nov. 21.
"This spider, one of only a few poisonous spiders in the USA, can be found all over the states of Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. The spider releases a neurotoxin into the victim that, if not treated, can cause death!
Blackwidow
The black widow hooks-up with the male then sucks the very life out of him after mating!
She's very easy to spot...
The female has a very wide backside, is black, and has a red hour glass shaped marking on her belly....
You can find this spider in:
Closets
Wood piles
Under beds
And soon......
THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!

For the record, just about everything at that site is crass. There were 62 comments. Most said it was inappropriate and racist.
There are many possible insinuations in the posting that was forwarded, including the one that Mrs. Obama may be a widow. Many people worry — because there are so many racists in this country — that the new president could be assassinated.
Here's what one poster said at Bits & Pieces.
"I found this incredibly awful. It implies that soon Michelle Obama will become a widow. And this is aside from the racist undertones as well. Let's hope it doesn't come true, but yuck. I just lost lots of respect for this website and I check it everyday."

If you read it carefully, it is racist. Am I calling him a racist? No. But the action has been called out as racist.
Did Steve Rule think he was racist when he received it? Probably not.
Did he think he was being racist when he sent it to 26 others? Probably not. Therein lies the problem. And it's not just with things that send racist messages. What about overtly sexual connotations? Or sexist remarks?
Would it have been offensive if it had been Laura Bush or Hillary Clinton? Probably not. But that doesn't make it OK to share stupid crap — especially if you are an elected official.

But let's bring the whole matter into another perspective. It is even more troubling ...
Zip back to the May primary. Our editorial board interviewed the Republican candidates who wanted Steve Thayn's legislative seat. One of the contenders was long-time Canyon County Commissioner Matt Beebe. Part of the interview touched on illegal immigrants. What Beebe said was a bit shocking. In fact, you can tell by my awkward verbiage that I was a bit shocked ... here's what was said: Click here for the edited audio.
Beebe: I was very proud when I built my house last year that my contractor did not have any illegals working on his crews.
Vickie: And how did you know that?
Beebe: ‘Cause I asked him.
Vickie: But did you look at the paperwork yourself?
Beebe: I didn't have to because they all looked like me, the employees.
Vickie: Ok.
Beebe: Matter of fact the framing crew that he had was all recently returned Iraq veterans.
Vickie: Ok. When you say they all looked like me, meaning white?
Beebe: Meaning that there was no question about, you know, they talked like me, and people that are not from this country don't talk like me.
Vickie: Ok, um.
Beebe: And I'm not meaning to say that in any derogatory sense.
Vickie: But what, I mean, if we hire someone and they have documentation that is ... you know?
Beebe: That looks good?
Vickie: That is passable through the naked eye, then, I mean, what do you do about those people? Then so is an employer supposed to say, "Oh, I'm sorry you have an accent, you have brown skin, so automatically you must be illegal?"

OK. Did Matt Beebe think he was being racist when he said this? Probably not. Am I calling him a racist? No. But the Idaho Press-Tribune editorial board, including community members who heard it, thought it was racist and we mentioned it in the endorsement editorial. Beebe didn't win.

Think about it. If you have elected official Matt Beebe making offensive comments like those above, and you have elected official Steve Rule sending e-mails that offend people ... it makes you wonder what else is said and forwarded — and how much is offensive.

True, what's offensive to one may not be offensive to another. But it really doesn't matter. Generally, if someone thinks it's offensive, it is.
The Canyon County commissioners need to set a good example. They work in a diverse environment.
Rule thought he sent that "funny" e-mail to 26 "friends" and trusted co-workers. At least one friend or co-worker was offended.
Jill Kuraitis is not the "bad blogger" here because she posted something about Rule's e-mail. It started when Rule hit the send button from his county e-mail address.
The county needs to get some sensitivity training for employees, and it needs to start with the county commissioners. Here's a place to start.

I'm pretty sure Rule and Beebe - and friends and supporters - will think what I've written here is "offensive" because county officials didn't like it when we suggested a few ideas about the county jail controversy.
It really is in the eye of the beholder.
But just in case there's any doubt. I know exactly what I'm saying and posting tonight. It wasn't a mistake or a thoughtless action. It was deliberate.
And for the record, Idaho Press-Tribune newsroom employees are advised not to send that kind of stuff either. I don't want to read it on the blogosphere. Because it will come back and bite me, too.

More on the Rule e-mail. Unequivocalnotion.com
Posted in Opinion | 1 comment | View this month's posts

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“These elected officals have placed themselves above what most people would call "generally accepted good behavior" for an elected official. Canyon County is the butt of a lot of jokes and Mr. Rule and Mr. Beebe have set a new LOW WATER MARK to the outside world for the place I call my home. This is not a "PC" issue it is simply not acceptable for elected officals who were elected to represent all of us to act in this manner. Lastly, it is against county policy and employees are dealt with very harshly for violations of this policy. Elected officials are not subject to the policy per their talking head, Angie Solonis.
Paul - 11:25 AM, Thursday December 11, 2008